Steerable,self-propelled vibratory rolling machine



March 11, 1969 J. J. LANG 3,431,832

STEERABLE, SELF-PROPELLED VIBRATORY ROLLING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1967 United States Patent 3,431,832 STEERABLE, SELF-PROPELLED VIBRATORY ROLLING MACHINE Josef Johann Lang, 18 Birkenstrasse, 8018 Nettelkofen, near Grating, Germany Filed Mar. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 624,762 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 4, 1966, F 48,854 US. Cl. 94--50 7 Claims Int. Cl. Etllc 19/26, 19/28 ABSTRACT (IF THE DISCLOSURE A road or ground-rolling machine in which the rollers are divided up into side-by-side elements which can be selectively driven in groups for steering the machine. The machine is equipped with means for vibrating the rollers, and these means are driven independently of the propulsion of the machine.

This invention relates to a steerable, self-propelled vibratory rolling machine with at least one cylindrical roller which is acted on by a vibrator means, for example a motor driven imbalance shaft. Rolling machines of this nature are much used in civil engineering for rolling roadways, permanent ways, building sites, or the like.

Most rolling machines of this character have double vibratory rollers and a single motor for driving the vibrator means and propelling the machine. Known types of rolling machine are, however, beset by numerous disadvantages. In the first place the propulsion of the machine is correlated with the operation of the vibrator means in a fixed and predetermined relation, thus making impossible a free choice, or an infinitely variable regulation, of the frequency of vibration or the impact force on the one hand, and the speed of propulsion on the other. Moreover, in some rolling machines of this type, a long shaft is used for changing the direction of travel of the machine, this being rigidly connected to the frame of the roller and being steerable by the operator only by the application of a powerful effort. Moreover the driving propulsion is imparted to the rollers through a transmission gearing which is arranged on the frame beside these rollers and consequently takes up a considerable amount of lateral room, so that the overall width of the machine substantially exceeds the width of the rollers and does not permit the rolling out of marginal areas up to a side boundary. Moreover the use of the transmission gearing for the propulsion, which acts on the shaft of the rollers, makes the overall construction of the machine complicated and expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to remove these shortcomings, to which end it provides a steerable, selfpropelled vibratory rolling machine comprising at least two cylindrical rollers driven from a power source and acted upon by vibrator means, for example a motordriven imbalance shaft, characterised by the fact that each roller is divided into two roller elements mounted side-by- 3,431,832 Patented Mar. 171, 1969 See side on a shaft, that a single friction wheel engages each group of two of the roller elements arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel of the machine, and that the friction wheels of the side-by-side groups are driven from the power source through a differential gearing in such a way that these groups can be driven from the power source at the same rate of angular rotation or, for steering purposes, at different rates of angular rotation. An effortless steering and an extraordinary turning capacity of the rolling machine can be achieved by appropriate variation of the angular speed of the friction wheels in this construction.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention an additional power source is provided and is coupled through a gearing with the rollers and used to provide propulsion for these rollers which is independent of the driving motor for the vibrator means. By this means the production of vibrations, and the propulsion, can be made completely independent of one another and similarly independently regulated, this greatly increases the efficiency and the capabilities of the rolling machine.

A particularly simple form of driving is achieved by the fact that each roller element has associated therewith a friction wheel, driven from the driving power source, for operating the propulsion and steering mechanisms.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention it is of advantage to provide an adjustable brake acting on each friction wheel and/or roller element. Moreover it is convenient to have an adjustable pressure-setting device acting on the shaft of each friction wheel for varying the pressure application between this friction wheel and the roller elements.

It is moreover of advantage to provide the friction wheels in the form of airfilled rubber tires.

A further feature of the invention lies in providing manually-controlled vibratory rolling machines which are driven by internal combustion engines and are provided wiht a loop handle connected-to the frame of the machine and having mounted thereon the controls for operating the internal combustion engine(s), the brakes and/ or the pressure-setting devices.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a double-roller machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross section of part of the machine seen in FIGURE 1.

The machine illustrated is provided with a frame comprising two side plates 1 which are reinforced and formed into a rigid unit by a bracing member 1a. Two shafts 2 are firmly supported in this frame in a manner which has not been shown in any detail, each of these shafts serving as a'mounting for two roller elements, 3a, 341a and 3b, 3bb respectively, arranged side-by-side on the shaft concerned. Secured to each side plate is a plummer block 4 supporting an imbalance shaft 5 having eccentric weights 6a, 6b. Shaft 5 is driven through a V-belt 8 from an internal combustion engine 7, the rate of rotation of which is infinitely variable, for the purpose of generating the required vibrations in frame 1. This frame is further equipped with a known form of strippers (not shown) applied against the rollers. The internal combustion engine 7 is supported on a platform 9 connected to the frame 1 through a number of shock-absorbing buffers 10 of rubber or the like.

A further internal combustion engine 11 is mounted on an apron on the platform 9, and its driving shaft is arranged to drive the primary member 15 of a differential gear through a reversing gear 12, a transmission gear 13 and a bevel wheel 14. The differential gear referred to is of a known type, for example as used in automobile vehicles, and it is installed in a gearcase 16. The two shafts of the differential gear are designated 18a and 18b. Associated with each of these two shafts is a braking device, 19a and 1% respectively, for example a shoe brake or other known type of brake. Secured to the flanged end of each of shafts is an air filled tire 20a, 20b such as is used in automobile vehicles. Wheel 20a engages the roller elements 3a and 311a, while wheel 20!] is associated with roller elements 311, 3171). The thrust and frictional pressure between the members 3 and 20 can be adjusted to the required figure by appropriate measurement of the air pressure in tire 20.

Also secured to frame 1 is an arched handle bar 21 on which is mounted the controls for the machine, for example the gas lever 11a of the internal combustion engine 11, the lever 12a for setting the reversing gearing 12, and the lever 190 for operating the two brakes 19a, 19b. The gas lever 11a of the internal combustion engine 7 can also be operated from the bar 21 if it is required to alter the operating rate of this engine 7 while the machine is travelling. In the operating condition illustrated in the drawings, the machine is set to direct forward travel (that is to say with reversing gear 12 set to forwards position and the brake-operating lever 190 to of). Thus the required frequency of vibrations and impacts can be changed through infinitely variable positions by appropriately adjusting the rate of the motor 7, and the speed of travel imparted through the friction wheels 20 to the rollers 3 can be infinitely varied, independently of this, by regulation of the rate of engine 11.

If a righthand turn is to be given to the machine the setting lever 190 is adjusted to R as a result of which a powerful braking action, corresponding to the angular positioning of this lever, is applied by the brake device 19a to shaft 18a. Because of the differential gearing, the roller elements 3a, 3aa will then run more slowly, but the roller elements 312' 3bb will in contrast run faster and the machine will make the required righthand turn. Even A quite a sharp turn can be performed rapidly by appropriate choice of a powerful braking action and regulation of the engine rate.

If the lever 19c is turned to L the tire 20b and the roller elements 3b, 3b]; will be analogously braked, and the machine will make a lefthand turn.

The advantages of the vibratory rolling machine according to the invention have been elaborated in the preamble of this specification. As an addendum to this it is to be pointed out that the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has been illustrated but can be implemented in other forms of construction. It is also within the ambit of this invention to provide the machine with a drivers seat and arrange for the operating agencies to be actuated by pedals. Again, to increase the frictional effects, more than one frictional wheel can be provided at each side of the differential gear and/or a variable spring pressure may be provided for between the elements 3 and 20 instead of the fixed spacing of the axis of shafts 2 and 18 used in the case illustrated. Further, in the case of simple types of rolling machine the braking devices may be replaced by a direct footbrake applied to the roller elements or friction wheels, depending on the change in direction which is required at any time.

The requisite thrust between the friction wheel and the associated roller element is ensured by appropriate selection of the air pressure in the friction wheel and of the weight of the upper part of the machine which acts on the friction wheel. If for any reason it is important that the weight of the upper part shall be kept pretty small (lightweight motor, lightweight gearing) the connecting parts 10 between the upper part and the lower part of the machine can be more powerfully loaded in any convenient fashion by means shown symbolically as element 25 in FIG. 3 and thus additional effort can be applied to the friction wheels without impairing the resilience of the vibratory parts. To the same end additional resilient elements may be provided between the upper part and the lower part of the rolling machine.

I claim:

1. In a self-propelled vibratory rolling machine comprising a frame, at least two cylindrical rollers rotatably mounted on the frame one behind the other in the direction of travel of the machine, a power source, a driving transmission operatively connecting the power source and said rollers, and means operatively associated with said rollers for vibrating the same, the improvement wherein each roller is made up of two roller elements rotatably mounted side-by-side on a common shaft to form two groups of roller elements, each group including two roller elements located one behind the other in the direction of travel of the machine, a single friction wheel drivingly engaging the two roller elements of each group, said power source being coupled to said friction wheels through differential gearing, an adjustable brake opera tively associated with each of said friction wheels for reducing the rotational speed thereof, and control means on the machine for applying either of said adjustable brakes to allow the said groups of roller elements to be driven at the same or different rotational speeds.

2. A rolling machine as claimed in claim 1, in which each friction wheel is mounted on a shaft, and an adjustable pressure-setting device is applied against this shaft to vary the pressure between the said wheel and the corresponding roller elements.

3. A rolling machine as claimed in claim 1, in which each friction wheel comprises a pneumatic tire.

4. A rolling machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the power source is an internal combustion engine, and the machine comprises a frame with a loop handle in which is mounted the controls for said internal combustion engine.

5. A self-propelled, vibratory rolling machine comprising a frame, at least one cylindrical roller rotatably mounted on the frame, a vibrator means mounted on the frame above and spaced from the said at least one cylindrical roller for vibrating the frame and the said at least one cylindrical roller, a first motor on the machine and operatively coupled to the said at least one cylindrical roller through a drive transmission to operate the at least one cylindrical roller, a second motor on the machine and operable independently of the operation of the first motor for operating the vibrating means independently of the operation of the at least one cylindrical roller.

6. A self-propelled, vibratory rolling machine comprising two cylindrical rollers rotatably mounted on a frame, a vibrator means acting on said rollers, and a driving motor for actuating said vibrator means, wherein the improvement comprises a second driving motor which is coupled to said roller through a drive transmission which includes at least one friction wheel and is adapted to rotate said roller for propulsion of the machine independently of the operation of said vibrator means, and wherein the rollers each include two roller elements rotatably mounted on a common shaft to form two groups of roller elements, each group including two groups of roller elements located one behind the other in the direction of travel of the machine, a pair of friction wheels operatively coupled to said driving motor, one engaging each group of roller elements, a superstructure on the frame supporting said motors, and including resilient connecting means between the frame and the superstructure and means for selectively prestressing the said connecting means to vary the pressure between each friction Wheel and its respective group of rollers.

7. A rolling machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the means for selectively prestressing the said connecting means includes the arrangement whereby the connecting means is constructed to receive additional resilient elements to vary the pressure between each friction wheel and its respective group of rollers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,778,181 1/1'957 Gray 945O 3,306,175 2/1967 Ferwerda 9450 3,323,428 6/ 1967 Domenighetti 945O FOREIGN PATENTS 143,961 10/ 1951 Australia.

10 NILE C. BYE/RS, ]R., Primary Examiner. 

